Automatic oil-cup.



C. .l. WOERNER & A. M. HUNT.

AUTOMATIC 01L CUP.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29. 1914.

1,157,354. Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

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A UN E STA S O cHARIEs,J. woERNEn, or HAMMOND, AND Amos I/Ii. HUNT, orGIBsoN, INDIANA.

AUToMATIo oIL-our.

Our invention has for its object .to produce. a simple and novel-devicefor positively feeding oil or other lubricating ma-- terial in regulatedquantities to. the cylinder. of an engine or air compressor.

The various features of novelty whereby our invention is characterizedwill hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in I the-claims; but,for a full understanding of our invention and' ofits object andadvantages, reference may be-had to the following detailed descriptiontakenl in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

, Figure 1 is a central vertical section through a device arranged inaccordance with a preferred form of our invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on agreatly-enlarged scale throughone of the valves of :the device; andFigfl is a section taken approximatelyon line %4 of Fig, 3.'" I

Referring to thedrawing, 1 represents an oil cup of any suitableconstruction, being in the arrangementillustrated, ahollow cylinder openat thetop and-having a bottom wall, 2, located a short distance withinthe lowerend thereofi- The top of the'cup is closed by'mean's of'a cap,3, which in-turn may be provided with a detachable plug, 4, throughwhich the cup maybe filled. The

cup is screwed at its lowerendupon a suitable plug, screwed into thewall of a cylinder 01 other I chamber to be -"lubricated.- Arrangedpartly in the bottom of the cup and in the plug 5 are two valve devices.Thea-valve "devices may conveniently be made 'byscrewing or otherwisesecuringinto'the top of the plug socket members, 6,-conta-iningconicalseats, 7 upon which restfsuitable ball valves, 8 and 9, respectively. 7A passage, 10, extending upwardly through -the centerof the plug 7 fromthe bottom thereo i Provided with to be regulated.

5,which is in turn adapted to be s ecialise-ion of Letters Patent. t t t9 5. Application filed January 29, 1914. Serial No. 815,265. 7

branches, 11 and 12, respectively, which are continued into the socketmembers 6, each opening into one of the seats 7 at the apex of-thelatter. In the bottom wall of the cup are two sockets, 13 and 14,respectively, registering with the sockets 6 and each provided with aconical seat, facing the seat in the socket underneath the same. Each of'thesockets 13 and 14 is provided with a port, indicatedat 15 and 16,respectively, extending upwardly through the same from the apex of thevalve seat. The valve seats 7 and the seat 17 in the socket 1-1 areplain cones while the seat 18 in the socket13 is provided with a seriesof channels, 19, extending fromthe top to the bottom. \Vith thisarrangement, when the balls 8 and 9 are down they act as checkvalves topre vent; fluids from flowing downwardly past the same. When the ball 9is up it cooperate s withthe seat 17 to prevent fluids from rislng pastit. However, when the ball, 8 is up the channels 19 provide passagesthrough which fluids can flow upwardly past the ball. I

Thesockets 13 and 14, and particularly the latter, are preferably madeadjustable, this being conveniently accomplished by screwingthem intothe bottom wall of the cup; thus permitting the up and down play of theballs and particularly of the ball 9,

In using the cup, it is wholly or partially filled with oil'or otherfluid or fluid-like lubricating material, the plug being screwed intothe wall of the cylinder tobe lubricated. Assuming that the cupisapplied to the air cylinder'of an air compressor: It will be seen thatonthe compression stroke air will flow from the cylinder into thepassage 10 and through the. branch passages 11 and. 12,

lifting the ball valves 8 and 9.from.their seats. The valve 9, inlifting, closes the port leading upwardly into the oil cup while thechannels 19 in the other valve device permit theair to rush past theball 8 and up into the cup;. the air. rising through the port 15 andthrough the oily intothe top of the cup where it accumulates and exertsa downward pressure on the lubricant. The air in flowing up past thvalve 8 carries with. it the lubricant contained in the valve chamberbut, since the valve 9 completely closes the port 16 as soon as thevalve is lifted, the lubricant in the chamber containpendedclaims; V

. neath the valve. On the suction stroke of the piston the pressurebeneath the two valves drops andfthe valves themselves, assisted bythe'pressure within'the-cup, fall the lubricant contained beneath thevalve 9 being 'forced down intothe passage 12 and or rather are forcedinto their lowerseats,

being drawn into the cylinder. This operation is repeated during eachcycle of the compressor piston, although the-quantityof air-flowing uppast the valve 8 is reduced as the pressure in the cup rises,-a nd as'mall quantity of oil is'positively fed down into the cylinder to belubricated.

' Wehave foundthatthe lubricant is not: vdelivered'in the formof a dropbut leaves the lower end of the plug in'the form'of a milky spray whichcausesit to be distributed 7 inthe cylinder to the best advantage.'{ Bymaking the socket 1% adjustable the lift of the valve 9 may be variedand consequently the amount of lubricant which-is Y pumped-downwardly ateach suction stroke of the piston may be varied within any de siredlimits so that the cylinder-may be sup plied withexactly the rightamountfof lubricant without Wasting the lubricant'and withoutdangerthatthere will be insuilieient .be fed-past the air valve 8' aswellas-past' lubrication 7 Under some conditions oil may possibly theoilvalve- 9 and it might therefore-be cpos sible to ieflect a fair degreeof lubrication with the use of only a single valve; but we ,,35

prefer to use two valves as it makesth'e acslon "for regulating the feednicely. 1;;

While W have. illustrated ad deaaad with particularity only a singlepreferred nitions of our invention form of our invention, we donotdesire to be limited to the exact structural Ide tails thusillustratedand described, but intend-to coverall forms and arrangements whichfalliwithin the terms employed in the deficonstitutingthe apl. A closedoil cup having formedin the 9 bottom thereof two communicating passagesleading to .a discharge point of thecup, the upper'ends of said passagesbeing in the form of valve seats, .ball valves resting'on said seats, retaining plugs fitted into the bot-V f tom of the cup above said ballvalves,each

tending through the same from the bottom of said retaining-plugs havingaipassage exto a point within'the oil cup, the partsibea ing soconstructed and arrangedthat when the ball valves rise one ofthemcloses. the

passage in its retainer while the, other leaves va-lve seats?surrounding said ports, balls resting upon said seats, a retalner for;one

tion positive and certain and makesprovi A closed oil cup"having}inithe.;bottom .two communicating ports leading to adischar epoint. of the cup, there being valve the passage the correspondingretainer f seats surrounding said ports, valves resting 7 uponsaid'seats, a retainer for one ofthe' valvesconstructed'and arranged-topermit a limited movement of the valve away from its seat and opencommunication between the corresponding port anclflthe interior ofthecup", and a retainer for the other -valve having therein a passage.communicating with the interior ofithe cnpfand'adapted to so be closed;by he corresponding valve when, the latteris raised. f

An 'nclosed oil cup having in one two communicating po'rts leading to adischarge point'of the cup, there being conical of, said ballsconstructed and arranged to permit. a limited movement of theball awayfrom its seat and open communication'b'e tween" the" corresponding"port: and the 2111- terior ofnthe .cup, and a retainer for the otherball provided with a'seat forthe ball and a port: leading. from saidseat i into the interior ofthecup. f V, a. j linclosed oil cup having inone side two'communicatin'gports leadingv to a dis charge point of: thecup, there being conical valve seats surrounding said iports, ballsres'tinguuponsaid seats, 'a.ret ainer for-one i of said ballsconstructed and arranged L ;to'

permit a, limited movement of'the ball away fromyits seat'andopencommunication'between; the corresponding port and the interior ofthecup, and an adjustable retainer for the other ball provided :with aseat foij' the balliand aport leadingqfroni saidseat 7 into ,theinteri'orrof the cup.

5. An inclosedzoil; cup having in oneside t o-communicating portsleadingitoga discharge point of the cup,;therefbeing conical 1 resting'uponfsjaid seats, area'tainerzforone"a 'ofsaidi balls construc ed, anrr ged; 0 j permi alimitedjmo e nto h 'b ll away fromi s s t and op commni onzber tweenthe correspondingport and the in;

teri'orjof-thejcup, and a-retainer 'forjfthe. other ball arranged in theform of a' hous-f ward the other-seat with whichth at ball 00.

' operates and-havinggalso a-port 7 leading fromthe seat into theinterior ofthe cup 6; An inclosed 'oilicuphaving two valve] chambers and;a. common discharge passage- 1 communicating with said. chambers, aball valve in each {of saidchambe r jeach adapt. edto closecommunication'between its chainber andthedisc'harge passage in oneof itspositions, each; of said chambers beingpro: I,

videdw'ith an a justable part taining a ingyhav ing a seat'r adjustablefrom and Jto,- v

110 valve-sea s SU- 'If01 ldlI g said-port ball i valve seat and a portleading from the valve seat into the interior of the cup, one of saidvalve seats having grooves therein to provide a restricted passagebetween the cor responding valve chamber and the interior of the cupwhen the valve is pressed against the seat.

7. An inclosed oil cup having in one side two communicating portsleading to a dis charge point of the cup, there being conical valveseats surrounding said ports, balls resting upon said seats, and closinghousings forsaid balls constructed and arranged to permit a limitedmovement of the balls from the aforesaid seats, each of said housingshaving a port leading into the interior of the cup and a conical valveseat surrounding the port and the valve seat in one of the housingshaving grooves serving as a bypass around the ball when the ball isresting against that seat. V V

8. An inclosed oil cup having in-one. side Copies of this patent'may beobtained for two valve chambers provided with communicating portsleading to a discharge point in the cup, there being conical valve seatsin the bottoms of the chambers surrounding said ports, balls restingupon said seats,

plugs screwed into the upper ends of said chambers to limit themovements of the balls away from the aforesaid seats, each plug having aconical valve seat and a port leading therefrom into the interior of thecup and there being a restricted by-pass between one of the valvechambers and the interior of the cup when the corresponding valve isseated against the plug forming the closure for that chamber.

In testimony whereof, we sign this specification in the presence oftwowitnesses.

CHARLES J. WOERNER. v AMOS M. HUNT. Witnesses: J. E. Common; W. F.OSBORNE.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,D. G.

